Snowbound
by gigundoly
Summary: Everyone in Lima remembers the blizzard of '78, right? Nope. Our heroes, Tina and Artie, weren't born until the early nineties. Tina thought she was just spending a few hours at Artie's house to finish up a school project, but she didn't count on this.
1. One

_Author's Note: I'm going to do my best to write a story centered on snow, despite being a Texan with limited snow experience! For this, I'm featuring Artie's sister, Amy, who appears in many of my other stories. But just for kicks, I've also given him a ten-year-old brother in this piece. I hope you enjoy some good, old-fashioned Tartie. (From the looks of things, we're still in a drought…)_

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"The depth of the current snow cover will guarantee a white Christmas in the Rockies and interior parts of the West, as well as in the northern Plains, much of the _Ohio Valley_... _sweet."_

Austin Abrams was excited as he bounded downstairs to tell the family what he'd just read on the internet. Every ten-year-old wanted a White Christmas. Well, everyone except for maybe his older brother, Artie, who disliked snow. Once upon a time, Artie liked snow, but everything changed the year he started using a wheelchair to get around. Wheelchairs and any kind of inclement weather never agreed with one another.

Still, Austin figured it was okay for him to be happy about snow. Besides, now that Artie had the ReWalk exoskeleton, he figured his older brother might be able to join him for an actual snow ball fight. But the younger brother's hopes were quickly dashed...

Austin did his best to sell the idea, but Artie shook his head as he inched his way across the living room. The machine attached to his body made a whirring sound that Austin had likened to a robot. "There's no way I can risk going outside in this thing while it's snowing," he reasoned, sensibly. "I don't think it's made for that."

In Austin's mind, this new machine meant that Artie was now on the road to recovery. The kid just didn't understand that the ReWalk, though beneficial in many ways, was basically a very expensive mirage. It didn't mean he now had a typical older brother who could wrestle with him in a blanket of snow. It just meant that Artie could now walk around the house with slow, careful steps.

Austin shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you say, Robo-cop." The younger brother plopped on the couch and changed the channel. Artie was about to protest, but Austin had stumbled upon a show about elaborate Christmas light displays. Well, that _was _a bit more interesting than Shark Week, Artie supposed. He eased his body back on the couch to watch.

"Amy says your girlfriend's coming over," Austin commented, when the commercial break began.

"No, she isn't," said Artie, quickly. "There's no way I'll ever have Brittany over here. Far too embarrassing. Especially when Amy's home visiting..." Artie and Austin's older sister was home from Ohio State for the holidays.

"No... I mean, the other one," Austin persisted. "You know what I mean."

"Afraid I _don't_ know," said Artie. "You can only have one girlfriend at a time, knucklehead."

"The old one then," Austin relented, exasperated. "The _ex_-girlfriend or whatever, her. Is she coming here tonight? To meet us?"

"She's coming tonight," Artie replied. "But not for the purpose of meeting you, squirt -" ("Don't call me squirt," Austin protested immediately.) "- she and I have a school project that has to be finished by tomorrow. We've got no choice but to work on it tonight."

"But tomorrow's the last day," said Austin, mystified. "_We_ don't have any actual work on the last day before Christmas break. Just pajama day and the class party. I hope Mom and Dad remember to pick up candy canes and cookies on their way home."

"Well, that's fourth grade, isn't it?" Artie mused. "When you're in tenth grade, you won't have any more parties. You barely even get to have field trips in tenth grade."

"I want to be home schooled in tenth grade then," Austin decided.

"Oh, no, you don't," Amy said, coming into the room and bringing along the smell of hairspray and a hint of her boyfriend's cologne. She plopped down on the other side of Artie, propping her combat boots up on the coffee table. "My roommate was home-schooled and has almost no social skills. Long skirts, long stringy hair, the whole she-bang. Luckily, I didn't mind taking her under my wing..."

"Did you dye her hair green and give her a mohawk?" Artie wanted to know.

Amy sniffed indignantly. "Just the mohawk," she said. "Dorothy Jane's not quite ready for color yet, but there's always next semester to look forward to." Evidently ready to move on from the topic of her mousy roommate, she kicked her boots off and pulled her feet up on the couch. "SO! We're meeting the famous Tina today, is that what I overheard you telling the squirt?"

"Watch it," Austin cautioned.

"I'm taking her straight to my room to work on the project," Artie told her. "You can introduce yourself if you want, but she isn't coming over to chat. We've got work to do."

"Oh, right," Amy said, with an exaggerated wink. "Better be sure and shut the door, then, so we don't disturb your hard work."

Austin snickered as Artie glared at his sister. "Tina and I aren't together."

Amy sighed. "Yes, I know," she replied. "From what I gather, you traded a girl with an actual personality for a cookie-cutter blonde cheerleader bimbo. And we aren't allowed to meet _that _one either. Honestly, Artie, do you actually expect me to believe these girls exist if I never get to meet any of them?"

Artie opened his mouth to answer, but the doorbell interrupted him. Amy's excited eyes met his and with a defeated sigh, he just nodded. There was no possibly way he would beat her to the door. Never in his wheelchair and definitely not with the ReWalk. Amy gave a squeal of delight as she made a beeline for the front door. Not to be outdone, Austin jumped to his feet and scurried after her. As for Artie, he rose slowly and pushed the buttons to make his legs move.

Tree branches slapped at the windows as the wind gave a furious howl.


	2. Two

_Author's Note: Thanks to the four who reviewed my first chapter. I'm hoping I'll soon begin to see more holiday Tartie stories than Quartie/Tike/Bartie (not that I have anything against other ships). That's what I would like for Christmas. Artina Writers, do you hear me?_

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Tina waited anxiously at the door step, ringing the bell only after her dad had begun pulling out of the driveway. Her long black coat was already covered with flurries just from the short walk from the driveway to the door. She didn't really expect any of these flurries to stick. It wasn't supposed to get that cold tonight.

The only other time Tina had been to Artie's house was when he was sick and she'd been dropping off homework. Only his mother had been home at the time so Tina hadn't been able to meet Artie's father, sister, or brother. Today, she'd been "warned" that both the brother and sister would be at the house while she and Artie finished up that pesky project that they couldn't seem to stop putting off. She wasn't sure why Artie was making such a fuss about it.

She was completely unprepared for Amy Abrams.

Dressed head to toe in an outfit Tina would've chosen stood Artie's famed older sister. To be more specific, Amy Abrams was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with bright green skulls all over it, ripped skinny jeans over black tights, black and green striped socks with no shoes, and a bunch of beaded bracelets on each wrist. Most interesting was her hair, which was dyed a deep red with blonde highlights and dark brown lowlights. Like Artie, she wore glasses but hers were trendy with round, black frames. She looked Tina up and down, approvingly.

"Cute boots," she said, with a nod to Tina's favorite footwear. "Cute hat, too." Tina was wearing her panda tuque, the new one that Mike had given her after the jocks ruined her old one with a cup of disgusting green parking-lot-slush to the face.

"I like your glasses," Tina told Amy, as the youngest Abrams poked his head around his older sister. While Amy only vaguely resembled Artie, Austin was the spitting image of his older brother. He even wore his brown hair combed neatly across his forehead and, of course, sported a smart pair of glasses. Austin was dressed in a light blue snowflake-patterned sweater and khaki corduroy slacks, a pressed, collared shirt peeking out from under the sweater. The outfit looked like it had probably once belonged to Artie.

"Hi," he said, brightly. "I'm Austin and this is my sister, Amy. I've got a pet iguana named Chloe. She really, really likes people. Do you want to meet her, too?"

"Tina isn't here to meet your iguana," said Artie, before Tina could reply, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Tina noticed the whirring sound of the machinery first before seeing Artie. Even though she'd seen him use his new device in the choir room yesterday, seeing him with it now still caught her off-guard. Instead of looking down at Artie, she now met his eyes by looking straight ahead. He leaned forward only slightly on the crutches, which were red like his wheelchair.

"M-maybe later," Tina said to Austin, still unable to tear her eyes away from Artie. Her face softened into that same memorized expression that she'd worn yesterday in the choir room. When she caught her breath, she explained (a bit embarrassed now), "… It still takes my breath away, Artie, to see you walking like this."

"He uses it a lot at home now," said Austin, matter-of-factly. "But he's only s'posed to use it at home right now and not anywhere else." He glowered at his brother, adding, "Definitely not outside, even though it would be totally awesome."

"My physical therapist thought it would be best to start out using it at home," Artie explained, nudging Amy slightly. Amy shuffled back a few paces, pulling Austin along with her, to allow Tina to step in out of the cold. Amy took Tina's coat, brushing the little flurries off as she hung it on a nearby coat rack.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" asked Amy.

"Sure," said Tina, just as Artie said, "Not right now."

Artie looked at Tina and she just giggled, shrugging slightly. "I guess we'd better get to work on our project," she conceded, catching on that Artie – for whatever reason – didn't really want to hang out first. He was all business today.

"I'll bring Tina's to Artie's room then," Amy said, settling for this if it would give her an excuse to be nosy and spy on Artie's awkward non-date with his ex-girlfriend. Artie let it go, since Tina seemed interested in the cocoa. He just hoped that Austin didn't show up with Chloe in tow.

"They seem nice," said Tina, following behind slowly as Artie edged forward on the crutches. He seemed to be a lot faster on wheels.

Artie's bedroom was just as neat and orderly today as it had been that time he was home sick, which was the only other time Tina had seen it. His wheelchair was sitting empty beside his organized desk today. It was the only chair in the spacious bedroom, and the only other place to sit down was the bed.

"Oops," Artie commented, also noticing the problem. "Feel free to sit on… my bed." Yikes, he thought, hearing those words leave his mouth. "Or I don't mind if you sit in my wheelchair," he added, wondering if that was even worse.

"Your wheelchair does look a little lonely…" said Tina, trying to act natural as she moved over to the desk and put down her messanger bag. She sat gingerly, smiling across the room at him as she rested her feet on the footrests. Her heart was pounding, but all she said was, "… comfy."

Artie just nodded as he eased himself onto the bed and began undoing the many straps that held the apparatus onto his legs. When he finally set the device aside, he picked up their history text book that was already lying open to the correct chapter. "Let's get cracking."

Tina took out her book also and gave a huge sigh as she opened to the appropriate page. "This feels like bad déjà vu."

"Why?"

She sighed again. "I'm sorry, Artie, but I guess I do owe you an explanation for why I kept canceling our meetings to do this project." She held up the book and pointed at their title. "I just never thought I'd have to do _another _speech about the Missouri Compromise."


	3. Three

_Author's Note: Eight reviews now, doubled from the last chapter. Thanks so much. ARPFics, I wholeheartedly agree that the ReWalk plot is awkward. I'm gonna do my best to work with it, haha._

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"They said, 'We don't want slavery, dude, it's just not wise! I know, homeboy, how 'bout a Missouri Compromise! WORD TO YO' SLAVE."

Tina stopped filming, putting the camera down to snicker at Artie's masterpiece. Little by little, he'd composed a ridiculous rap song about the historic event. They would mix in the footage of Tina dancing and – voilà! The project had a snappy introduction that would hopefully make speaking in front of their class a whole lot easier. And Artie had graciously volunteered to handle most of the speaking. Tina's primary job would be holding a pointer to indicate the Louisiana Purchase on a map. She was fairly sure she could handle that.

"Artie, this really is brilliant," she gushed, beaming at him. "And to think, I'd been dreading this for so long…"

"Technology always earns you extra points," Artie said, modestly. "And my connections with the AV Club mean that we won't have to worry about whether or not we can use the equipment. We might have to bribe Lauren with Raisinettes. Speaking of Raisinettes, do you want a snack or something?"

"We should probably take Amy up on the hot chocolate," said Tina, wondering where Artie's sister had gone. They'd been working on the project for a couple of hours, and Amy still hadn't brought them the hot chocolate she'd promised.

"Let's go in the kitchen," suggested Artie, putting the book aside and reaching for the bulky machinery once again. He strapped on the thing that looked like a backpack first, tightening the straps around his chest. Curiously, Tina stood up out of the wheelchair and moved towards the bed. She ran her hand over the pieces that went on his legs, staring in awe.

"This really is incredible…" she said, stepping back as Artie wrestled his lifeless legs into the leg straps. It was slightly uncomfortable to watch him struggle and she couldn't help but ask, "… Do you need help?" Unsurprisingly, Artie shook his head.

After what seemed like an awfully long time, Artie finally took hold of each crutch, checked out his feet, and then stood with seemingly little effort. Compulsively, Tina reached out to steady him, even though she knew he could do it without her assistance. He blinked quickly, meeting her eyes, and gave her a shy smile. They were both recalling that day in the choir room when he'd tried to stand with nothing but a pair of borrowed crutches. He'd wanted to do it for her, just for a chance to stand upright and look her in the eyes.

"What's it like?" Tina wanted to know.

How to describe it? "I still don't feel my legs so it's pretty weird," Artie confessed. "I keep having to check to make sure they're still, like, doing what I think they're doing. But as soon as I stand up, I can tell my circulation improves. I can feel my blood pumping."

For whatever reason, Tina shuddered at that. Now that he mentioned it, she thought about how much it concerned her for Artie to sit still all day in his chair. He'd once mentioned pressure sores to her, and she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since. Until he mentioned it now, it never occurred to her that the ReWalk might actually improve Artie's health.

"When Brittany asked Santa to make you walk, I thought that there was no way this would end well," Tina recalled. "But now… look at you."

"Yeah," Artie shifted, uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" Tina asked, quickly, thinking it had something to do with the ReWalk. She instinctively stepped forward again, knowing she couldn't bear to see him fall.

"Nothing, I just…" Artie trailed off, opening and closing his mouth as though selecting his words with care. "I just feel kind of guilty about the whole thing, that's all."

"Guilty?" Tina exclaimed. "_Why?" _It was the last thing she expected.

Artie lowered himself back down to the bed and examined the crutches as he spoke, rather than looking at Tina. "These aren't supposed to be sold to consumers yet," he said, frankly. "They're really supposed to go to rehabilitation centers first for therapeutic use."

"I don't understand," Tina confessed, sitting beside him on the bed now without a second thought about doing so. "Coach Beiste purchased this for _you, _Artie, and she wants to see you benefit from it. So does Brittany. And…" she smiled gently. "… Santa Claus does, too."

"I know, but –" Artie sighed, still not tearing his eyes away from the crutches. "There are _lots _of people that I see on a weekly basis in rehab who could use this, too. Lots of people who have been in wheelchairs longer than me. I just… don't deserve this any more than they do, that's all. It bugs me to think about what they would say if they knew."

"Oh, Artie…" Tina was at a loss. This was similar to his reaction after they'd raised all the money for the handicapable bus to Sectionals. He'd asked for the proceeds to go towards ramps for the auditorium, reasoning that all the other kids in wheelchairs at McKinley would get to reap the benefits, too. Although she had considered his behavior over the summer to be selfish, this reminded her of how truly self_less _Artie Abrams could be.

"I'm considering asking my parents to donate it to _my_ rehab facility," Artie said, and when Tina opened her mouth to object, he hurried to defend his decision. "Because the facility could _never _afford to buy one, but if they had my ReWalk, I could benefit and so could a lot of other people. Plus, it would draw a lot of business. That would mean more money for the facility, which ultimately benefits me…"

Tina nodded, looking sadly at the contraption strapped to his body. "But then you wouldn't get to use it whenever you wanted," she reasoned.

"It's okay," Artie said, quickly, raising his eyes to look at her. "I'm not sure I'd really _want _to use this thing in public. It draws more stares than the wheelchair does because people haven't ever seen anything like it. Maybe in ten years or so, it'll start to replace wheelchairs for people like me. We'll see."

Tina had the overwhelming urge to hug him and she acted upon that urge without hesitation. Artie was surprised, but accepted the gesture wordlessly. Outside, a sudden gust of wind howled through the tree beside Artie's window, flinging a mass of snow against the glass. They drew back from one another to exchange looks. Tina jumped up and rushed over to peer out the window.

"It's _really _snowing hard out there!"


	4. Four

_A/N: I hope this doesn't feel too much like filler. Please read and review. It would be an excellent Christmas present to me!_

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They found Amy the kitchen, but she wasn't making hot chocolate. She was on her cell phone instead, leaning over the island in the middle and twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she furrowed her brow. "Mmhm… so when did they leave? Oh, really? Oh…"

Tina exchanged a worried glance with Artie as she moved to the breakfast table and sat down. Artie stopped beside the table and remained perfectly still as he stood and stared at his sister. Amy continued to hold up her end of the conversation, acknowledging her brother with a troubled look.

"… Yeah, no, I haven't gotten a hold of them on either cell. Of course, Mom forgets hers at home half the time…"

Tina noticed that Artie was now gripping his crutches so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He inched his way towards Amy and stood on the opposite side of the island. She forced a smile, which he didn't return.

"Thanks, yeah, and we'll call you if we hear from them, too… okay, thanks, Aunt Penny. Okay, buh-bye." She hung up and stared at her phone, as though willing it to ring.

"They're not at Aunt Penny and Uncle Mark's house?" Artie questioned, to which Amy shook her head. His expression darkened to match hers. "So, no one's been able to get a hold of them?"

"They left Aunt Penny and Uncle Mark's house, like, thirty minutes ago and that was when the snow really started coming down hard," said Amy, her voice wavering slightly. "Dad told Uncle Mark that it would be fine since he's got four-wheel drive, but I don't think anyone expected it to snow this much. Now Aunt Penny and I have both tried their cell phones about a dozen times… nothing."

Artie drew in a shaky breath, but all he said was, "Where's Austin?" He didn't want to worry their younger brother and Amy, understanding immediately, replied, "I sent him upstairs to take a bath." Artie nodded, relieved that the youngest child was out of the way for now.

"Maybe… maybe I should call my parents?" Tina wondered aloud. She knew Artie's parents had been in Dayton visiting his aunt and uncle because he'd told her that earlier. Tina's parents were supposed to be out as well, celebrating her grandparents' wedding anniversary with a quiet dinner at the retirement home in Findlay.

Neither Amy nor Artie seemed to notice that Tina had spoken. Tina rose from the table and slipped into the hall to make the call. Her parents were closer than Artie's, but if they wanted to avoid the highway, they'd have to try the back roads. The detour could potentially take well over an hour, depending on the condition of the roads.

"Mom?" she said, relieved when her mother picked up right away.

"Hi, sweetheart, we were just about to call you," she said, nonchalantly. "It looks like the storm is getting pretty bad. There are vacant rooms at the retirement home, and they're going to let us stay the night. Will you be okay at Artie's tonight?"

"Um… sure, it'll be fine," Tina replied, although her gut was telling her that spending the night with the ex-boyfriend would be anything but fine. But then it wasn't like they were alone. Thank goodness for Amy and Austin, she thought. Tina didn't think her parents realized that _Artie's _parents weren't home, but she decided it would be better not to tell them. She didn't want them to worry and try to come pick her up.

She was just finishing up the conversation with her mother, reassuring her once more that she would be just fine at Artie's for the night, when the Abrams' residence lost power. The television that had been left on in the living room went off as the lights blinked a few times before going out as well. From upstairs, Austin cried out in alarm.

"Uh-oh," said Artie, as Tina slipped back into the kitchen and took her seat at the breakfast table again. "Bet the water's cold. I'll go bring him a flashlight." When Amy looked at him rather dubiously, he said, "I've tried out the stairs in this thing. I can get up there, really."

"If you fall…" Amy started to say, but Artie pretended he hadn't heard her. At the rate he was headed, it would be awhile he reached his brother. Amy started towards the stairs herself, but Artie quickly protested.

"He won't want you to see him naked," said Artie. "You stay here and don't stop calling Mom and Dad. I want to know the second you reach them, okay? Call both their phones. Call Aunt Penny and find out who else was at the party. Get their numbers, too. Maybe they're on the roads with Mom and Dad right now."

After barking out these orders, Artie continued making his way towards the stairs.

Amy exchanged a meaningful look with Tina before shaking her head and obediently making another call. "Nothing," she informed Tina, moving to sit beside her at the table. Turning her cell phone over in her hands, she mumbled an explanation. "Artie overreacts when it comes to driving and bad weather…"

"Oh, was it…?" The rest of Tina's question evaporated into the space between them, an awkward silence filling the air. Tina had never asked Artie to give her more details about the accident that damaged his spinal cord. She wasn't sure if she should ask Amy, but then again, Amy had brought it up.

Amy nodded solemnly. "It was snowing," she explained. "Hard, kind of like it is right now. And it was late at night. Artie and Mom were on their way home from Uncle Mark's and Aunt Penny's. Our cousin, Rhys, is his age. They really liked playing together. Dad was home with me and Austin because I was sick with the flu and Austin had an ear infection. Otherwise, we might have been with Mom and Artie. Aunt Penny tried to convince Mom not to drive back, too, but she thought it would be okay…"

Tina wasn't sure she could speak. A lump had formed in the back of her throat. Amy let the subject drop and stood again to pace the kitchen, muttering to herself about calling her aunt back. Tina jumped as another clump of snow hit the window, accompanied by a strong gust of wind.

Tina didn't think Artie was overreacting.


	5. Five

Author's Note: The long absence can only be explained by a very busy personal life. Sorry for the wait. In my absence, I've seen a lot of Quartie stories (due to an apparent ficathon), but very few for our dear Artie and Tina. I hope that'll change very soon. Enjoy this chapter.

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Tina could see tears forming in Amy's eyes as she dialed the cell number once again, desperation setting in as she tried with no avail to reach her parents. Tina opened her mouth to speak, to make a vain attempt in comforting Amy, when Amy finally said, "Hello, Mom?"

Mrs. Abrams voice was on the other end of the line. Tina could hear her saying, "Hon, we've just now found an area with reception. We've got about one bar at the moment. We're on our way back to Aunt Penny's. The roads to our house are too dangerous right –"

Static filled the line and her voice cut out. Amy's eyes met Tina's as she breathed, "At least we know they're fine. I'm gonna go tell –"

But before she could utter her brother's name, a thud was heard overhead. Tina's mind was immediately flooded with an image of Artie falling hard on his crutches. But Amy, with a panic-stricken expression, said, "Austin…"

Amy jumped to her feet and bolted upstairs before Tina had a chance to ask why she was more concerned about the younger brother. The stairs were in pitch darkness, which didn't slow Amy down, but caused Tina to smack head-first into the wall. She didn't realize that the stairs turned halfway up. The suddenness of her face meeting the corner of a wall made Tina see spots for a second. She finally recovered long enough to find the light at the end of the hall that must have been Artie's flashlight. Ignoring the warmth spreading on her face, she followed the light to its source.

"Amy, help," she heard Artie say before she saw him. He leaned on his crutches, but looked down at Austin's body, curled in the fetal position on the floor. His back arched, head jerking, the youngest Abrams was in a terrifying state. He was wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and one sock. His damp towel and the other sock lay beside him. Amy instantly crouched beside him and in a well-practiced and calm manner, she turned him on his side and cradled his head.

"I couldn't crouch down to help him," Artie said, his voice shaking slightly. Tina, her eyes filled with concern now for Artie, stepped towards him and reassuringly stroked his arm. Artie turned to offer her an explanation. "He has seizures because of his epilepsy. I'm just thankful he didn't fall in the shower when no one was with him. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, putting on his socks."

"He's already settling down… shhh, Austin, it's okay. It wasn't a bad one, okay?" Austin blinked a few times and then closed his eyes, as if he were going to sleep. "Hey, Tina, could you help me pick him up and put him on his bed?"

Tina glanced briefly at Artie, who closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. With a nod, she crouched down and helped Amy lift the boy from the floor to his bed. Amy drew back the comforter and sheets to tuck him in. She adjusted his pillow with all the care of a mother, then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'll go get his medication. He can take another dose when he wakes up."

Amy's obvious expertise sent a chill down Tina's spine. She'd done this before. "It was just a minute or so, right?" she questioned, looking to Artie for confirmation. Artie, who still hadn't opened his eyes, just nodded and swallowed hard. Amy rose, brushing Artie's shoulder gently on her way out the door.

"E-epilepsy," Tina echoed what Artie had told her, taking a seat in the desk chair beside Austin's bed. His room was neat as a pin, just like Artie's, with an interesting ant farm displayed on his desk and a huge tank of colorful fish near the door.

The ReWalk made a mechanical sound as Artie lowered himself on the edge of Austin's bed, sitting as carefully as he could so as not to disturb his brother. "Epilepsy," he confirmed, reaching for Austin's exposed left hand and holding it tenderly, causing Tina's heart to break. "He had his first grand mal seizure when he was five and we were all really scared. But after his diagnosis, they've become almost… manageable. Not entirely, it's still a scary thing to watch him go through it. Every time I see it, I wish it were me instead…"

"How come… you never told me?" Tina asked, innocently, her eyes flickering between the brothers' hands and Artie's moist blue eyes. He looked away from her, brow furrowing momentarily, and she felt something like betrayal. It remaindered her of how Artie hadn't talked about the accident until she'd asked. She'd never known a more private individual.

"It's like the accident," Artie explained, as though reading her thoughts. "Some things are just easier left unsaid. I guess maybe if you had asked, maybe I would've said something…"

"I wouldn't have known to ask about this," Tina reasoned, sensibly, and then thinking of the circumstances surrounding Artie's accident, she remembered that Artie still didn't know about his parents. "Your mom and dad are okay, Artie. Amy got in touch. They're going back to your aunt and uncle's house."

"Good," said Artie, his eyes glued on Austin's still body. "I don't think I can completely relax until we find out that they made it back, but it's good to know they aren't stranded on the side of the road somewhere… or worse…" Tina knew what he had to be thinking of.

"How can so much happen to one family?" Tina spoke before she really thought about what she was saying. Right away, she regretted that she'd said it out loud. She bit her lip as her face flushed and turned so she wouldn't have to see the expression on Artie's face.

Artie chuckled lightly. "I know, right?"

"I'm s-sorry," Tina fumbled her words, her blush deepening. Artie was smiling, though, as if he found her embarrassment cute. "I didn't mean to say it like that. That sounded…"

"Like a question we've asked ourselves a lot over the years," Artie replied, completely serious now. He folded his hands in his lap and looked at them instead of Tina. It took Artie a moment to completely compose himself for what he was about to say. "In the beginning – when I was just starting to recover from my accident and just starting to realize what spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair would mean for me and my family – I felt really upset because of Austin. I was worried that I wouldn't be the right kind of brother for him, because I wouldn't be able to teach him to play soccer or beat up bullies for him. You know, the usual big brother stuff, I'd be pretty much worthless for that…"

Tina shuddered at a word like 'worthless' being used in that sentence. Mostly because she had never heard Artie use a word like 'worthless' to describe himself. Until then, the harshest thing he'd said about his condition was that it was a "hassle."

Artie was now looking at Austin. "What I found out, when the doctors told us he had epilepsy, was that I'm exactly the right kind of brother for Austin. I may not know what it feels like to wake up on the floor, surrounded by all the kids in your class and your teacher… but I do know a thing or two about being different."

In spite of the weather, Tina was feeling pretty warm as she watched Artie tend to his younger brother with such obvious love and compassion. "That you do."

"Hey, Tina?" he said, his eyes shifting back to her. "Your... face is bleeding a little, did you know?"


	6. Six

_A/N: Much easier to write about snow when there's actual snow at my house! Hey - how's about a review? I got three last chapter. I'd love to double that to six._

* * *

Tina touched her face with her fingertips and held them inches in front of her eyes. In the dark room, she could barely make out the sight of blood. Artie ushered her into the small bathroom beside Austin's bedroom, following along slowly behind her. He shone the flashlight on her face and winced, a chuckle escaping. "Did the wall bite you in the face?"

He reached for a tissue and dabbed the trail of blood coming from a small cut that was right between her eyebrows. As the light hit the mirror, Tina realized that she looked like something out of a horror movie. Artie bent down, although his range of motion was still limited. Tina, noticing that he was trying to get something out of the bottom cabinet, bent down to help. He directed her to a box of small bandages. When she straightened up again, he used two of them to pull her skin together and cover the wound.

"I'm clumsy in broad daylight," Tina explained, giggling slightly. "Put me in a dark, unfamiliar place and there are all kinds of problems..." She gazed up at him slightly now, having abandoned her shoes in Artie's room hours ago. There was just enough light for her to make out his expression, a soft one. He was looking at her the way he used to look at her, long before Halo marathons and Mike Chang and Asian camp and Brittany had come along.

"Well, now you're good as new," he said, setting the flashlight aside on the counter.

If the tiny, poorly-insulated bathroom was cold, well, they didn't notice. It suddenly seemed very warm in the cramped space, their bodies almost touching as they stood face to face. Artie ran his index finger across the bandage as Tina reached for his wrist in an attempt to pull his hand away from her face. She then took his hand in hers. Before he could speak, she leaned in, rising up on her toes ever so slightly. His eyes closed as he breathed in deeply, preparing for what would happen next. His lips parted. Hers were soft to the touch and tasted of vanilla chapstick, just the way he remembered.

"Artie, Tina?"

The voice sent them both reeling backwards, Artie grabbing the counter to steady himself. He knocked the flashlight off the counter, and Tina quickly bent down to retrieve it. Neither of them had heard Amy's footsteps as she climbed the steps and padded down the hall towards Austin's room. They were lucky that she'd announced her presence by calling out as she entered the bedroom.

"We're… getting a band-aid for Tina's face," Artie called out the explanation, his voice wavering slightly as he looked back at the girl who had just kissed him for the first time in months. Tina ducked her head and turned away, stepping out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom.

Amy approached Tina, squinting to examine her face. "Ouch," she said. "I heard you hit the wall back there. Hope you don't end up resembling Harry Potter. Scars can be cool, though. I've got one on my forehead, too, from the time Artie launched a rock off a see-saw and hit me in the face with it."

"Watch out for me, I'm trouble," Artie joked, as the mechanical exoskeleton announced his presence in the room by whirring loudly. Tina started at the sound of his voice. Her heart was racing, pounding so heavily that she was sure everyone in the room could hear it.

Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but all she said was, "I'll look after Austin for awhile if the two of you want to go on downstairs. Be careful going downstairs in that thing –"she shifted her gaze to Artie –"It still makes me nervous."

_If anything should make her nervous, it's me being in the same room with Artie_, Tina thought, certain that the hidden thoughts in the recesses of her mind were being broadcast over a loudspeaker. She forced herself to remain cool as Artie moved toward the doorway. She shone the light on his feet as he walked, observing him more closely for the first time. Every step looked identical to the last. She marveled over how fluid his movements were – until he got to the stairs. He paused, as if he were a bit wary of going down, too. But he said nothing as he made his way down, his feet taking each step one at a time the way a child would do.

"It's when I lean…" he explained, just to fill the silence when they'd finally reached the living room. He figured talking about his walking was better than trying to figure out why they had just kissed each other in the bathroom. "… The machine senses my lean and takes a step. Stairs were tricky at first, and it's even more difficult in the dark, but – the machine does all the work. I still don't feel a thing."

"Did this, like, satisfy Brittany's wish for you?" Tina asked without thinking. Being reminded of Brittany made what had just happened even worse. She bit her lip, glad that he wasn't able to get a good look at the guilty expression on her face.

"Pretty much," said Artie. "I think she was still expecting something a bit more magical, but as long as I'm happy, she's happy. Anyway, there's so much about me that she doesn't really understand. Like, for one thing, she doesn't know that I can't feel my legs. She hasn't asked since that one time when I didn't answer her. And – I don't really want to tell her."

"Right," Tina breathed. "There are some things Brittany's better off not knowing about."

Artie coughed and Tina blushed.

"Be right back," said Artie. He seemed to actually pick up the pace as he walked to his room. Embarrassed and flustered, Tina sank down on the leather couch and buried her face in her hands. There were things Mike didn't need to know about either. Alone with her thoughts, she contemplated her previous intentions. Why, for instance, had she sought comfort from Artie when she'd suspected Mike of cheating?

A familiar sound interrupted her thoughts as Artie reemerged in his wheelchair now. He rolled up to the corner of the couch and set the break. "It only walks for about three hours before I need to charge the batteries," he explained, pausing for a beat. "Like on _The Surrogates."_

"I never saw that."

"No?" Artie hummed, thoughtfully. "Well, it's an interesting concept. It's a movie where, instead of walking around in their bodies, people use robots called surrogates. The idea is originally intended for those with physical disabilities, but the world kind of falls apart when everyone decides to use them. I've… seen it like, three times."

"You like watching movies repeatedly." Tina idly shone the flashlight on her face.

Artie scowled. "Just cool movies," he said, a bit defensively. Immediately, Tina knew what he had to be thinking about. She searched for a subject change, but thankfully, he found one. "You look like you could tell a scary story."

"Like a camp story," Tina said, without thinking. She closed her eyes at the pure idiocy of that statement as Artie returned her suggestion with an even deeper scowl. "Artie – look, I can see that you're _still _mad about me and Mike. This is exactly why I wanted to talk. Remember I suggested we get together and talk?"

"Well, it's hard to talk to someone when you can't ignore your feelings for her," Artie admitted, causing Tina to draw in a sharp intake of breath. Artie made a face. "You just kissed me upstairs and I kissed you back. I have a hard time believing you when you look surprised."

"It's just shocking to hear you say it aloud…" Tina murmured. "Look, Artie, it's hard for me to ignore my feelings for you, especially now that you've suddenly learned how to be a good boyfriend. What you did for Brittany, convincing us all to go see Santa and then getting Coach Beiste to help, that was sweet…"

"But kissing you behind her back, that's _not _so sweet…"

Tina blanched. "Oh, Artie, what have we done?"

"Kiss me again," he insisted, as her eyes went wide. She made a small noise in protest as he reached for her hands, trying to draw her close. "Seriously, I want to know how I feel about you. Think of it as an experiment. If we don't feel anything this time, there's no problem. And Mike and Brittany don't have to know. So – kiss me the way you kissed me in front of the bus."

Forgetting everything – even the alarming chill in the air that served as a reminder of the troublesome power outage – Tina stood up and leaned over his chair. Steadying herself on the armrests, she leaned over and planted a tender kiss on his lips. Heat momentarily filled the room as they were transported to that day in front of the bus, that time in the choir room, that moment in the abandoned hallway.

They dared to open their eyes, lips parting slowly as Tina took a step back. He looked up at her, searching for her face in the dark. She shone the light across her features again, and Artie spotted a single tear tracing her cheek. He swallowed hard, aware that his heart was racing as he stared up at her.

It was always Tina for him. It always would be.


	7. Seven

Author's Note: This is the end of this story, readers, to make way for future projects. (I tried not to rush. I've been critiqued for rushing in the past.) While this may not be what you were expecting or hoping for from me, keep in mind – "happy endings, not happy middles." I prefer to follow show canon when possible. But don't worry – the saga of Artie and Tina is far from over!

* * *

The sound of their giggles echoed down the abandoned hall as Tina desperately chased after Artie who, with his eight or nine years of experience in a wheelchair, was obviously gunning to beat her again. He turned to watch her cross the imaginary finish line, a self-assured smirk plastered across his face.

"Ugh, you're so much _faster!_" Tina protested, pulling back on the wheels to stop.

"Excelling at wheelchair races is about my only advantage," said Artie, blushing slightly and looking at his lap instead of her face. "It's mostly just a big hassle."

"This has been a really fun date," Tina announced, much to Artie's pleasing. As he continued to blush and avoid direct eye contact, she added, "But… I want to get out of this chair."

That got his attention. He raised his head to look at her. "Why?"

"So… I can do… this." She planted her feet on the ground and stood as he eyed her curiously. Slowly and deliberately, she leaned on the armrests of his chair and hovered over the boy. Suddenly and without warning, her soft expression changed into a deep, angry scowl. Before he literally knew what hit him, Tina drew back a fist and punched Artie hard in the stomach. He recoiled, clutching his body protectively as she struck him again.

"Why?" Artie wanted to know, tears forming in his eyes. Tina ignored his cries of protest as she continued to hit him, swinging blindly now as her own tears blurred her vision. "Why? Why? Why?"

She hated herself for hurting him and hated that she didn't really know _why _she did it. But she swung away, feeling as though something unseen were strangling her. "Tina? Tina?" Artie was saying. She barely heard him. Shutting her eyes, she blocked out everything but his voice. "Tina?"

When her eyes opened again, she realized that her pillow was soaked and she was being strangled under heavy blankets. She wasn't in the middle of the hallway at school. Instead, she was on a couch in an unfamiliar, dim room. Her hand, which dangled off the furniture, now clung to Artie's. He gazed up at her from his air mattress on the floor beside the couch, brow furrowed, eyes squinting to see her. Artie let go of her hand briefly to find his glasses on the floor beside him.

As Tina returned to consciousness, she remembered that she was still snowed in with Artie and his siblings. After building a fire to stay warm, they'd all decided to sleep in the living room. Amy was stretched out in the recliner, and Austin snored quietly on the love seat, his frightening seizure apparently forgotten. Only Artie had been disturbed by Tina's nightmare. She wondered if perhaps she'd been punching a couch cushion or screaming aloud.

"I… bad dream," she muttered, reddening at the thought of having to explain what the dream was about if he asked. He merely nodded, however, and reached for her hand again to give it a comforting squeeze. She forcibly smiled at him, but all the while, her mind was racing. She wasn't sure what the dream meant, but she took it as a bad sign. She hated to hurt Artie, but the unavoidable truth was that she would have to hurt _someone._

It was inevitable that being with Artie meant she'd have to hurt Mike, and Mike had done nothing to deserve it. Mike was perfect, actually. (Maybe even a little too perfect….) And if Artie chose Tina, it would mean that he'd have to wound Brittany. Brittany, in spite of her wanton reputation, was actually quite innocent and fragile. She didn't deserve to have her heart broken.

"The heat is back on," said Artie, with a yawn. "And so are the lights. You didn't wake up, but the light came on in the kitchen. Amy got up and turned it off."

"Great," said Tina, her voice hollow. That dream just wouldn't leave her alone.

"So the plows should come through tomorrow – I mean, today… "Artie figured that it was probably 5:00 or 6:00 AM because the sun was starting to shine through the curtains. "… Our parents can get on the roads again and you can go home. I guess that school project we were worried about won't be due until after the holidays now."

Tina blinked a few times. "Honestly, I wasn't really thinking about the project…" She remembered to whisper, as she caught sight of Amy stirring in her recliner. "… I was, well, I was thinking about us."

"I've been thinking about us, too," Artie admitted, lowering his voice to a whisper, too. "All night long, actually."

"I don't think you should hurt Brittany."

Tina knew she must have surprised Artie because he opened his mouth to reply to that, but then closed it, an unreadable expression on his face. She burrowed under the comforter that covered her body so that most of her face was hidden, except for her dark eyes. She fixed them upon his blue ones, partially obscured by his glasses, and silently willed him to understand.

After a long silence, he finally said, "I don't think you should hurt Mike either. I was watching you dance with him in the choir room one time, and I don't think I've ever seen you look so happy. I'm glad he makes you feel that way…"

"Artie…" Tina felt a familiar ache in the pit of her stomach. Both Artie and Mike made her happy, but in different ways. She didn't like to compare them, and yet, Artie did it all the time.

"We each need to focus on our new relationships," he went on, after indicating for her to let him finish. "You need to figure out how you really feel about Mike and… I need to give me and Brittany a real shot. Otherwise… it'll mean that you and I only ever had each other. And, in the long run, I don't think that's healthy. I think the only way we'll ever know if we're truly meant for each other is by spending time apart, time with other people. And if it turns out that we _weren't_ meant to be, well, you'll still always hold a special place in my heart, Tina Cohen-Chang. You were the first girl I ever loved."

Her face felt warm, and not just because the heat was working in the house again. She tucked the comforter under her chin so that he could see her smile. He smiled back at her.

"You were the first guy I ever loved," she told him. "You were the first one to break down the wall that I'd been building around myself for so long."

"I'm glad," he said. "The world needed to see the real you. Now you really shine. You don't have to hide anymore. You ought to put little gold stars after your name the way Rachel does because _you're _a star, Tina."

"Thank you," she whispered back, tears forming in the corners of her eyes and falling onto the pillow. Nodding, he pressed his lips together and stroked her palm with his thumb. "You really changed my life."

"You changed mine, too," he said, dropping his volume when Austin tossed and turned on the loveseat. He delicately let go of her hand. "And now let's get some more sleep before we have to wake up again…"

She nodded, thinking idly that when they awoke again, it would be as though nothing had happened. Their kiss, the _other_ kiss, and the hand-holding in the wee hours of the morning – they were just going to pretend it never happened. Really, what choice did they have if they wanted to protect the ones they loved? It was best that they simply bury this secret, the way the small town of Lima, Ohio had been buried under several inches of heavy snow.

"Want me to sing something?" Artie asked, after she'd been tossing and turning for a few minutes. "Help get rid of your nightmares?"

It wasn't hard to guess what he'd sing…

_Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you._

_Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you._

_But in your dreams, whatever they be._

_Dream a little dream of me._

Tina's next dream didn't involve wheelchair races or karate chops to the stomach. Instead, it was just the two of them – she and Artie – dressed in baby blue, dancing the soft shoe tap routine they'd always dreamed of doing.

She owed him one last dance.


End file.
